Skeletons in the Closet
by coolcreate
Summary: Semi modern-day AU. Ozpin asks Detective Weiss Schnee and Detective Blake Belladonna to find out what really happened to Summer. Thanks to knight7572! And yes, there is Bumblebee and Whiterose.
1. Revelations

**A/N: Starting another series! Bad Tasie! Ah well. I enjoy it. And I hope you do.**

"Look, all I really need is to find out what happened."

"But the case is cold." Blake stated. "I wish I knew. But I don't and I won't."

"Please, Detective. We don't know anything. All anybody knows is that Summer Rose is MIA. AWOL. Presumed dead." Ozpin pleaded. "Please, Blake."

Blake sighed. Her cat ears flattened. "Ozpin, I don't know how else to say this. Summer Rose is dead! Gone! A body search, an autopsy, or detective work won't bring her back!" A tear, albeit small and singular, rolled down her face. "She's gone and she's not coming back! No matter how much I care for my friend, I won't do this for her. We all know Summer Rose is dead and this investigation will just get Ruby's hopes up! I can't do that! You of all people know I can't!"

Ozpin narrowed his eyes and stood up, setting down his mug."Look at her, _Detective Belladonna_ ," He spat "Look at her and her sister. Tell me they're not still mourning, not still grieving. Tell me they're not broken! Look me in the eye. I trained you, I helped you. It's your turn to help me now." Ozpin sat back down calmly and smiled "Do we have an agreement?"

"Fine. I'll get my understudy on it. But don't say I didn't warn you. When this all comes crashing down you'll have only yourself to blame."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"What do you mean we're reopening the Rose investigation?" Understudy Weiss Schnee looked at her mentor with frenzied eyes "I'm already on the Taurus case, the Tano case, and the Hastings case! You want to put another one on my plate?" She threw her hands up in the air "I can't do that!"

Blake sighed and rubbed her temples "No, Weiss. I'll give the Hastings investigation to Ya-"

 _Crap, Yang's not gonna like this. She'll want to be on that case. It's her mom after all._ Blake thought _I could give it to Ruby, though. It'll distract her. Yeah, that works._

"I'll give the Hastings case to Ruby, and the Tano case to Neon. I'll do the Taurus case and help you with the Rose investigation."

"But Blake-"

"No buts."

Weiss sighed and returned to her desk.

 _How do I break this to the press?_

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

 **At the Xiao Long/Rose household...**

"Dad?" The blonde cop walked into the living room"Have you seen my prosthetic? Oh my god- Dad!"

Taiyang sat on the couch, face in his hands, with an empty bottle of liquor on the coffee table.

"Yang. Oh god, Yang they're gonna do it. Why can't they just leave her to rest in peace?"

"Do what?" Yang looked at the TV which bore the headline " _Summer Rose investigation reopened"_ She turned up the volume.

"In an official statement, Detective Blake Belladonna of the Vale Police Department has confirmed the reopening of the infamous Summer Rose case. In other news, the trial of Commander Tano has set bond at-"

The voice of Lisa Lavender was gone, and all Yang could hear was her mother's last words to her. "Yang, promise me that no matter what, you'll take care of your sister. But don't you worry, I'll be back soon."

 **IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

 **Back at the station…**

"Blake!" Ruby sped across the lobby, towards Blake. "Hi!"

"Hello, Ruby. How are you?" Blake asked.

"Oh, fine!" Ruby grinned "There were a lot of cookies at the staff meeting last night!"

Blake grimaced. _How do I tell her? She's so happy… I can't do that. But I promised. Fine._

"Ruby, have you seen the news?" Blake asked.

"No… Why?"

"There's something I need to tell you…"

 **A/N: Muhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Evil cliffhanger! Aw yeh!**

 **Anyway, I'm hoping to get an update in soon. If y'all want it faster, you better leave a review. Once again, thank you knight7572!**


	2. The Aftermath

A/N: In this chapter…

We have a list of suspects.

Ruby learns of certain things.

Yang is…Yang.

"So, you're gonna find out what happened to Mom?" Ruby's eyes widened "Thank you Blake, oh thank you!" She jumped up and embraced her coworker.

Blake frowned. "Don't thank me just yet. I might not know who really did it in the end. Besides, you should be thanking Head Honcho over there." She gestured to Ozpin, who appeared to be in a heated discussion with Officer Goodwitch, or as they called her, the Wicked Witch of the West.

"I don't care, Blake, you're the one doing it!" Ruby squeezed harder.

"Ruby, stop! I can't breathe!" Blake gasped

Ruby released her friend and smiled sheepishly "Sorry, Blake. I'm just so glad to get some closure. I miss her so much."

"Guys! I've got something!" Weiss ran at top speed down the hall, files in hand. "There's a list of potential suspects at the scene!"

Blake narrowed her eyes. "In my office. Now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yang swung her legs over Bumblebee's seat. She stuck her keys in, revved up the engine and sped off to the station. Cripple or not, she was gonna kill Blake. Nobody planned to hurt her baby sister like that and lived to tell the tale. Nobody insulted the memory of her mother and went on living like before.

Yang was angry. She didn't care how long they locked her away for, she didn't care what if they called her crazy. She was gonna march in there and get Blake off that case or die trying.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Raven Branwen?" Ruby looked at Blake incredulously. "Yeah, right."

"I'm not sure she's all that innocent, Ruby. She was at the scene, and she was covered in blood." Weiss took off her glasses. "Ruby, there's a lot of evidence pointing toward her."

"Still, she had no weapon." Blake stated "It's possible she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There's no body, remember?"

"Then let's go on to Suspect Number Two. Neopolitan Labelle. Found at the scene with a knife, although not with any traces of blood. At all. Like Raven, she was covered in blood. No other evidence was found at the scene linking her to the deceased." Weiss shook her head "I don't know why you even took this case. Ugh."

The door slammed open. "Hey Blake." Yang stood in the doorway, hands curled into fists. "Let's you and me have a little chat, shall we?"

"Yang. Calm down." Weiss approached the blonde brawler "Riby is fine. I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. Why are you so upset?"

"Out of the way." Yang shoved Weiss aside vehemently. She walked up to Blake and grabbed her by the collar. "You. How could you? That's my mom!" Yang punched her straight in the face.

"Nobody insults my mother like that! You're just gonna hurt Ruby. You'll hurt me, Dad, everyone,"

Her face contorted into a look of even further rage "And I won't let that happen!" With that, Yang kicked Blake in the gut, sending her straight to the cold, hard floor.

"Yang! Stop!" Yang turned to see Ruby run across the room to Blake. "Yang, don't you want closure? Blake is trying to help us! Can't you see that?"

Yang growled "Ruby, as your big sister, I'm just trying to protect you from getting hurt!"

Ruby sighed "Yang, this is just like Dad said. Don't let your rage control you."

Yang shook her head "Whatever. Just know, I'm not going down that easy. I will do my best to get this case thrown out." She stormed out.

A/N: So, um that was a thing. Yup. Hoping for the kindness of a review? I did update on the same day as the upload. Also, I need somebody to draw some cover art? PM me or leave a review. Cheers,

-Tasie


	3. Aftermath Part II

Blake's office was full of varying shades of gray. The small file cabinets were painted the colour of slush, and so was the small metal desk which Blake was currently sitting on, swinging her legs as Weiss helped her with her swollen, bleeding lip.

"Hold still!" Weiss said, fussing over the balm she was trying to place on Blake's face.

"I am!" Blake shot back, rolling her eyes.

"Don't talk, it makes me lose my place."

"Uggh. Fine." She folded her arms and rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe Yang. That's her mother and she just beats you up? Honestly. I have half a mind to report her to Ozpin."

"You can't. She's on medical leave. Besides, who's gonna believe us when we say someone with no right arm attacked me?"

Ruby frowned. _I don't like that there's a chance that we won't find anything too. But we've always defied the odds before, why should this be any different?_

"I'll talk to her. She's probably either at my Dad's place, or at our apartment." Ruby offered. "She won't go anywhere."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Zwei! C'mere you little rascal!" Ruby scooped up the little corgi. The dog whined. "Oh alright. No snuggles." She set the dog down. Zwei scampered away down the hall to someplace unknown.

"Yang?" Ruby called "Yang? Yang. I swear if you don't come down here, I'm gonna start touching Bumblebee."

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." The blonde brawler raced down the stairs, fearing for her bike. "What is it, Rubes?"

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering why you beat up your partner." Ruby folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Maybe you could tell me?"

Yang sighed. She sat down on the floor and patted the ground next to her. "Ruby, when Mom died, Dad shut down. I became 'Mom'. Uncle Qrow had to stay with him to make sure he didn't kill himself. I took care of you and the house and Zwei. I don't want you to turn out like that. I don't want you to be hurt. I don't want you to fall into that.I can't let that happen."

"Yang, I'll be fine. I want to know what happened." Ruby started to cry. "It's just that there's always been this huge hole in my life that Mom's death meant. They never found her body. I want to bury her, to have a proper funeral, not just an empty casket and a memorial in the park. I miss her, I miss her so much. I can't live like this forever, I have to know." She leaned into her sister, sobbing. "I just want you to share in that burden being lifted, too."

Yang put a protective arm around her little sister "I know, Ruby, I know. I just don't want you to be hurt again. Can you understand that?"

"I can, Yang. I'm sorry. I didn't know." Ruby snuggled into her older sister's shoulder.

"It's alright, Ruby. It's alright."

"Can you apologize to Blake?" Ruby looked up at her sister with the biggest puppy eyes.

"Geez, Ruby. Don't use my only weakness against me." Yang laughed.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Uh, Blake?" Yang stepped into the office, grinning nervously.

"Yang, if you hurt me, I will report you. You will be arrested."

 **ALL ABOARD THE FEELS TRAIN! Hehe. Also, quick question. Who do you think should be our top suspect? Neo, Roman, Cinder or Raven? Leave your votes in the reviews. Press dat button!**


	4. Discoveries and Apologies

**Last time on Skeletons in the Closet…**

 **Yang tries to apologize to Blake.**

 **Some suspects are found.**

 **Weiss patches up Blake.**

 **I referenced Star Wars. Many, many times.**

"Blake, that's not what I'm gonna do. I'm sorry." Yang looked up at her partner. "I wasn't thinking straight, I misdirected my anger. I shouldn't have hurt you. If you want to leave me, I- I understand." Yang swallowed, trying in vain to hold back tears. "If you want to report me, go ahead. I'm sorry. Please, forgive me."

Blake bit her lip, and looked down at the floor. "Yang, I love you. I'd never leave you, no matter what. I'm not gonna report you. You were angry, and Ruby told me about your, ah, emotional issues." Slowly, Blake walked towards her girlfriend, and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Yang recoiled. "Blake, I own this. I did this to you. I could've really hurt you. Don't blame what happened on mine and Ruby's past, I did this. To my own girlfriend, to the light of my life. What would happen if it were a random stranger? What would I do then?"

Blake threw her arms around Yang, encasing her in a bear hug. She pressed her lips against Yang's, and looked her in the eye. "Yang Xiao Long, I have never felt love for someone like I have for you. I have never hated you, and I never will. I forgive you, you only wanted to keep your sister from being hurt."

Yang embraced Blake. "I love you."

"I know."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ruby." Weiss looked at her lover. "Are you alright?" Ruby smiled sadly. "Yeah. It's just…"

"Just what?" Weiss frowned.

"It's just, Blake, she didn't want to take the case, did she?"

"Who told you that?"

"Velvet. She was all concerned, too."

"Who?"

"Artist. But that's not the point. Listen, she's working on the case." Ruby whispered.

"What?"

"Yeah, and she found something. She said Coco got a tip-off that somebody who knew my mom was going to be killed is in town. West District, midnight at Dex's Diner."

"Are you joking? That place is dangerous. I refuse to let you go without me." Weiss said.

"Ugh, fine."

 **Later that night…**

"Yang is going to be so mad we took Bumblebee. Weiss, we can always use a squad car." Ruby grumbled.

"Nonsense. We're giving it back, and she's not using it. Besides, if it helps us catch your mother's…" Weiss trailed off. She glanced at Ruby, who had slumped over in the backseat. "I meant if it helps us find the culprit, she'll be glad, right?"

"I guess."

The motorbike tore off into the night.

 **Hope you liked it! If you want more, then be sure to leave your votes for the killer in the reviews. Here it is so far:**

 **Raven: 1**

 **Neo: 1**

 **Cinder: 0**

 **Roman : 0**

 **Salem (I'm adding her to the list): 0**

 **Merry Christmas to everyone,**

 **-Tasie**


	5. Of Informants and Suspects

**Hi peeps,**

 **A user has been nice enough to tell me that polls in the reviews are not allowed. So, as a result, there is now a poll on my profile where you can vote for the top suspect.**

 **Any who,**

 **THB4: I agree completely.**

 **Poshboy: Why thank you! :D**

 **Knight7572: Nice pun.**

Dex's Diner was cramped, dark, dirty, and pretty much a hubbub of crime. The few tables that were in the sandwich restaurant were covered in dust, many chairs had bits of their legs missing or cracked, and the crowd inhabiting the place was not the most respectable. But it seemed Weiss and Ruby had no choice in the matter.

"Table for two." Weiss said.

The waitress led the duo to a table. She lit a cigarette and took a long drag, blowing the toxic fumes into the air around them."

"I'm Emerald, and I'll be your server for the night."

She slapped two torn, stained menus down on the table.

"Order or get out."

"I'll have a-"

"Strawberry sunrise. No ice." Ruby interrupted.

Weiss gave her a sideways glare.

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Good God, you're one of those couples." She muttered. She stalked off, leaving a trail of smoke in her wake.

"Ruby, I was going to order my own drink." Weiss remarked.

"You were gonna order something fancy." Ruby shot back.

"How would you know?"

Ruby merely raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine. I get it, but if you seriously think-"

"Weiss, there she is!" Ruby elbowed Weiss and pointed across the diner.

An older woman stomped into the room. She was tall, with red hair, and a gold circlet. Her sparkling green eyes swept across the room, looking for any signs of trouble. She sat down.

"Take a photo!"

Ruby took out her phone. She keyed in her passcode and discreetly photographed the strange woman.

A man came in, a blonde. He had a small knife sheathed right above his thigh. His hood was high over his face, concealing who he was.

Ruby's phone flashed once again.

The two unidentified people sat down at the table in front of them.

The sole lightbulb flickered and the man jumped.

"Oh, Jaune." The woman giggled.

Weiss scribbled 'Jaune, blond, presumed to be 18-21, around 1.85 metres" down on her notepad.

"You slay me." Jaune responded.

The redheaded woman looked around the diner. "Jaune, someone could be listening!" She whispered.

At this, Ruby got up and walked over to their table. Weiss did the same.

Ruby held up her badge. "Officer Ruby Rose, VPD, I need to ask you some questions about the murder of Summer Rose. Let's take this outside."

"Come on." Behind her, Weiss folded her arms and tilted her head, scowling.

The pair walked outside, followed by Jaune and his strange friend.

"We're gonna need names."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Blake smiled. Today had been a good day. She had just received a text from Ruby that they found the witness, and better yet, they even had a suspect.

Her phone buzzed.

 _RlyRlyKoolKid: We have them._

 _WeissQueen: Pick us up?_

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Pyrrha Nikos."

"Jaune Arc."

Ruby grinned. "Okay, so, we just need to know which one of you knew about Summer Rose's murder before it happened."

"I did."

 **AW YEAH! I said I was taking a Christmas hiatus! NOPE. This is your gift tonight. As always, a review is greatly appreciated.**

 **-T**


	6. It Happened That Night

**Poll results: (Guys it's still open, we can always have new suspects)**

 **Pyrrha: 2 (50%)**

 **Raven: 2 (50%)**

 **Anyway, I might close the poll around chapter 8. And side note: There's a different kind of timeskip going on here, so Neo, Roman and company were all teens when Summer died, making them able to commit a crime.**

* * *

"Look, I was young. I was stupid, and I wasn't in a gang by choice." Pyrrha sighed. She held her face in her hands.

Jaune laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we all make mistakes."

"Go on." Weiss said, a look of sympathy in her eyes.

"I was used as a messenger of sorts. When all the higher-ups were partying and stealing, I would take my tenspeed bike across the city, delivering messages to different members. That night, there was a woman, with black hair, red eyes, and a mask who gave me a knife and my first set of orders. She told me, along with another girl, to go to Central Plaza at 3 am. She said if she couldn't kill the mark, that would be our job." Pyrrha grimaced.

 **Ten years ago, on the night Summer Rose was last seen alive…**

Captain Summer Rose of the 501st Legion strode across Central Plaza, her uniform crisp and clean. She was home on leave for a few weeks, then back to Vacuo to quell a small insurgency in the Minerva Province. Ruby, Yang, and her husband Tai were waiting for her at home, along with Qrow and Raven. But before she headed home, there were a few small matters she needed to take care of. The mortgage needed to be paid, she had to pick up a few things from the grocery store for tonight, and she wanted to get her kids gifts. The plaza was perfect tonight, nobody was around, and Summer liked it that way.

"Hello, _Captain_." Raven's voice came from behind her.

"Raven! How pleasant to see you. Aren't you supposed to be with the girls at home?" Summer was a bit shocked at her friend's outburst, but remained calm nonetheless.

"Oh, I don't think you're coming home tonight. My employer has something she needs to take care of." Raven pulled out a long carving knife. The long silver blade gleamed in the moonlight, illuminating the look of hate in Raven's eyes.

"Raven, are you alright? Do you want me to call Qrow? I'm sure he'd-"

"NO! This stays between us. You're staying here, with me." Raven smirked. "I'm sure we'll all have some nice bonding time. Together." She laughed.

"Raven, I don't want to do this." Summer took a fighting stance and placed a hand on the pistol secured at her waist. "If you can't calm down, I'm calling your brother."

"Leave the miserable alcholic that I'm forced to call family out of this. Just comply with my request, and nobody gets hurt." Raven's lips contorted into a cruel grin.

The sound of footsteps reached Summer's ears. She spun around. Two girls of about fifteen stood behind her, holding knives indentical to Raven's. The one on the right had pink and brown hair, with the same heterochromatic eyes, and the red-haired girl on the left had green eyes and look of pure terror on her face. She was shaking.

"Well? Come on, Sum, you're outnumbered." Raven taunted.

Slowly, Summer stepped toward Raven, placing her firearm on the cold, hard ground. She raised her hands in the air.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

Raven's eyes flashed dangerously. "I know. You." She pointed at Neo. "Leave us." Neo nodded assent and ran off into the night.

"Come on." She motioned to Pyrrha and socked Summer in the face, knocking her out cold.

 **Later that night, at a local playground…**

Raven looked down at her phone.

 _Qrow Branwen "Onii-chan": Where are you? Call me._

The phone buzzed.

 _Qrow Branwen "Onii-chan": Taiyang hasn't seen Summer. Is she w/ you? Call me._

Raven grinned. She stared at Summer. "Tai wants to know where you are. But that's a secret, isn't it, Sum?"

Summer, who was tied to a post on the swingset, screamed, but Raven slapped a hand on her mouth. "Can't let you go just yet, Summer." She turned around. "I'll be back soon. Pyrrha, make sure she doesn't slip off." Raven walked away.

Summer stared up at Pyrrha with pleading eyes. The girl bit her lip.

"Go, run. She's dangerous, you know." Pyrrha said.

Pyrrha loosened the ropes. "Shoot me." She held out the gun to Summer.

"What?!"

"Nowhere important. Enough to keep me from running after you. Do it. I can take a shot." Pyrrha gestured to her foot.

"Are you sure?"

"Do it."

Summer readied her pistol. THe shot sailed straight into what must have been Pyrrha's little toe. She screamed with agony, writhing in the dirt. Summer ran like hell.

Raven heard the scream. _Crap, it's the girl. Oh, shit, Summer!_

* * *

 **Did you guys see Chapter 7? What's your favourite fairy tale? :D. If Qrow dies, though, I will enter the computer and change RWBY so that he doesn't. He might be happy in heaven, Maybe he'll find his liver there. Anywho, leave a review (It makes my day), follow, favourite, and answer the call for using the poll.**


	7. It Happened That Night Part II

I had this idea of making Raven a bit delusional, so there we go. Crazy Raven.

Also, you all still left the poll at 50/50! Don't make me choose! AGH!

* * *

"Shh. I gotcha. It'll be alright." Raven wound the bandages she always carried on her around Pyrrha's foot. She set Pyrrha down, and opened the little first aid pack on her belt. She rifled through the pack, and pulled out a syringe, filled it with morphine (Hey, being a gang member had its perks) and stabbed it into the affected area. Pyrrha immediately relaxed. Raven picked up the injured messenger, and dumped her into a bush, covering the sleeping girl with her jacket.

Raven looked down at her clothes, which were covered with blood. She ran back over to the playground, where the other messenger stood. Neo stood frozen.

There was a scream. I think it was the mark? Neo signed.

Raven's eyes widened. She didn't want to kill Summer, she just had to take her. It was what the boss said, right? She had to. There wasn't a choice. Raven broke into a run, speeding down the path.

Summer stood petrified while a man in a coat and gauntlets circled her. Raven's hands curled into fists. She growled.

"Get the hell away from her!" Raven flew towards the man, knife pointed straight at his heart. In a nick of time, the guy jumped out of her path and disappeared into the night, leaving Raven slashing at thin air. She grabbed Summer's arm and darted down the path they just came, panting heavily.

One hour later… (I know, I'm awful)

Neo had gone. Raven sat, curled in a ball. Blood stained the pavement around her. She wasn't sure who it belonged to. She didn't care. Summer was gone. Summer. She didn't want to hurt Raven, but one had to do the Goddess's bidding if one wanted their people to survive. The Tribe always survived. She did everything for the good of the Tribe.

Her phone buzzed, interrupting her thoughts.

Qrow Branwen "Onii-chan": Are you alright? Have you seen Summer? CALL ME!

Raven picked up the device and typed a reply.

Come pick me up, I'm at the park near Central Plaza. Come quick!

A few minutes later, Qrow's 2002 Honda Civic pulled up on the road beside the park. Qrow burst out, not even bothering to shut the door. He held a flashlight, shining its beam anywhere he detected movement. "Raven? Raven?" The light's beam fell upon the woman, who sat curled up, sobbing.

"Raven? What's going on?" Qrow rushed over to his sister.

Raven looked up. "Summer, I-I tried take her, and there was this guy who tried to kill her and, I can't remember anything after that. I came to, and there was all this blood, and, and…"

Qrow stared at his sister in horror.

Raven shook, eyes brimming with tears. "Qrow, did I kill Summer?" She gazed at her brother with pleading eyes.

Qrow sighed. He swallowed, internally screaming, but managing a calm exterior. "Course not. Come on, sis, let's get you home. But first, I gotta make a call. You gonna be okay if I do that?"

Raven nodded.

Qrow dialed began to dial 911, but stopped when he saw sirens flashing about a few meters away. "Raven?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna need you to stay here. Can you do that?" Qrow knelt and looked at his sister.

"Okay."

"The police are going to take care of this. They're going to ask you questions, and you will answer them. I'm gonna stick around, and when they let you go, I'm taking you home with me. No arguments."

Qrow stuck out his hand and pulled his sister up. They walked over to a bench and sat down.

Raven heard a rustling noise from the bush she had set Pyrrha down in. She glanced over. Pyrrha was gone.

And then the cops came. And all hell broke loose.

Woohoo! Another chapter! And so quickly too! Muse-chan doesn't take holidays, I guess.

If you want more, be sure to follow, favourite, ANSWER THE POLL ON MY PROFILE, and leave a review! :D

-T


	8. Arrested Development

"So, according to Ms. Nikos' account, Raven Branwen attempted to kidnap Summer Rose?" Blake asked.

"That's what she said." Ruby affirmed, her voice quivering at the sound of her mother's name.

"Her account incriminates bothe Ms. Branwen and herself." Ruby nodded.

Blake sat down and took out a pen. She signed a few papers, got back up, and handed the documents to Ruby.

"Take this down to Oz," Blake said "They're arrest warrants. For Pyrrha Nikos and Raven Branwen."

Ruby's eyes widened. "I know Raven's address. She lives with my uncle. Should I tell Yang first?"

"I'll get Weiss to do that. I'll come with you."

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Blake took a deep breath, and knocked on the apartment door three times.

A woman who seemed to be in her early thirties answered the door. She had long ebony hair and red eyes. She wore a red and black dress. The woman stared at Ruby and Blake.

"Are you Raven Branwen?" Ruby asked tentatively

"What about it?" Raven leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow.

Blake spoke up, mentally bracing herself "You're under arrest for the murder of Summer Rose."

"Qrow!" Raven screamed. She shrank away. Blake stepped forward and began to read Raven her rights.

Qrow ran out of his bedroom to the front door. "Ruby, what the hell is going on?"

"I can't say anything right now, I'm really sorry."

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in court." Blake said, cuffing Raven's hands behind her back.

"Qrow!" Raven sobbed hysterically as she was led down the hall.

Ruby followed Blake down the hall, wincing with every scream.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Qrow, I can't say anything! Turn on the news tonight!" Ruby called to her uncle, who stood in the doorway, stunned by the scene unfolding around him.

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"You can't take her!" Jaune stepped in front of Pyrrha.

"That's not up to you. Now Ms. Nikos, you can come quietly or we can use force? What's it going to be?" Weiss pulled out her taser. "Well?"

Pyrrha sighed. "I'll go." She put her hands up and knelt. "See?"

Weiss clicked the cuffs shut. "Let's go." She helped Pyrrha up, whose head was bowed.

Jaune grabbed Weiss' arm. "You can't do this, she never would have done this!"

Weiss shook her limb free. "Mr. Arc, I would suggest you stop. I can have you arrested as well."

Jaune grimaced, tears falling down his face. "Pyrrha!"

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Yang sat down on the leather couch. She picked up the remote, and flicked the channel to VNN.

Lisa Lavender's famous voice flooded the room.

"Two arrests have been made in the Summer Rose investigation. Raven Branwen, 36 was arrested after attempting to escape by kicking-"

Yang switched off the TV.

"Mom?"

* * *

 **Well… That was a thing? If you want more crappy writing, leave a review.**


	9. Suspect

**Here's Chapter 9! Also, WhiteRose1517, that WAS a Star Wars reference. I encourage you to find all of them. And don't worry, Pyrrha's story is in the next chapter.**

"And you were there on the night of the murder?"

Blake's heels clicked on the floor of the room as she circled Pyrrha.

"That's correct." Pyrrha's hands shook in her lap.

"Did you see anyone running from the scene?" Blake asked. Her face was fixed in a cold emotionless stare that chilled Pyrrha's blood.

Pyrrha bit her bottom lip and looked down at the black and white tiled floor, and the the metal chair that cut into her back. "I already told you everything I know."

"We just need to-"

"Rose shot me, Raven found me and gave me a drug. I don't remember anything past that, okay?" Pyrrha was now standing up, her fists no longer folded calmly in her lap, but thrust in Blake's face as if she was about to punch her.

"Ms. Nikos, calm down."

"Calm down? You are accusing me of murder! Yeah, I'm a murder suspect, so I'll just sit down quietly and smile and nod, how about that?"

Blake merely raised an eyebrow. "I am well aware of your predicament."

Pyrrha sat down, covering her hands with her face. "I didn't do this."

"That's up for debate."

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Ms. Branwen, we understand that you had already attempted to kidnap Summer Rose." Weiss sat across from Raven, who was sitting across from Weiss, quivering.

"I can't remember."

Weiss scribbled something down in her notebook.

"And who have you been living with all this time?"

"My brother, Qrow Branwen."

"Older sibling or younger?"

"We're twins. Why does this matter?" Raven stared at Weiss, confused.

"We need all the information we can get. Were you raised by your parents?" Weiss asked.

Raven swallowed.

"Ms. Branwen, answer the question."

" _Oh, I can't believe it, we got the tattoos!" Raven gushed, twirling around the sidewalk in pure joy._

 _Qrow stared down at the pavement, hands in his pockets._

" _What could possibly be wrong, brother?" This is the best day ever!"_

" _Raven, you know what's wrong. They kill people. The moment we got the tattoos…"_

" _We don't have to pay them to keep us anymore."_

" _Raven, I've found a guy named Ozpin. He said he'd get us an apartment, and a place at his school. I already agreed."_

" _How could you?"_

" _It's for our own good."_

"No. We were taken in by the Tribe." Raven placed her left arm on the cheap metal table and rolled up her sleeve. A red tattoo of a bird stood out against her skin.

"I see. That's a criminal organization, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Are you still affiliated with it?"

" _I can't believe you! We finally move up in the world and you throw it all away?" Raven slapped her brother in the face._

" _Not when I'm driving! That could've killed us!"_

" _We might as well be dead! You know what happens when someone leaves! That's what happened to our parents, you idiot!"_

" _Oz will protect us. Besides, we can handle ourselves!"_

" _Not when they're after us! That's exactly what Mom and Dad said! How could you, Qrow?"_

" _He'll protect us, Raven! How many times do I gotta tell you that?"_

" _And you're just going to trust him blindly?"_

" _He's a police chief, Raven. I trust him."_

" _How could you?"_

"No. I'm not."

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"Ms. Nikos, I'm your lawyer, Lie Ren." A man with long black hair and a pink streak walked into the room.

"Hi! I'm first chair, Nora!" An energetic redhead burst into the room.

Jaune shrugged. "They said they were the best."

"Ren, did they really say that? Wow, I can't believe it!" Nora zipped over to Ren, who merely smiled calmly.

 _He's probably used to this._ Pyrrha realized.

"Let's begin."

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"I see. You were taken in by Ozpin?"

"That's what I just said."

"That will be all." Weiss took her notepad, got up and said "Someone will be here shortly to take you to the correctional facility."

Raven nodded.

 **/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

"So you've got all you can?" Ruby asked anxiously.

"Nikos was not very… cooperative," Blake said "She said she didn't remember past being drugged, which is quite believable if you ask me."

"I thought she said she was still conscious?" Weiss inquired skeptically.

The beeping of a phone interrupted the conversation.

 _Yang Xiao Long (via BeaconMessage™ Group Chat)_

 _To: Blake, Weiss, and Ruby_

 _Come to my place. NOW._

The girls all looked at the message.

Blake glared at Weiss. "Did you remember to tell Yang?"

"Well…"

 **So that was eventful. Also, I wrote half of this when I finished the assignment early in Science today. My teacher thought it was English, and came over to me (We have this program called French Immersion in Canadian high schools where the arts and math programs are in English, and everything else is in French… ugggh. Anyway, leave a review, a follow or a favourite.**


	10. Suspect Part II

**Had a lovely time writing this, I must say. I'm sorry for not updating soon, some personal things came up that had a large impact on my time and schedule. I do apologize for the length not being it's usual 700-900 words. Also, the f-bomb is dropped, so if you don't like that stuff, I'm quite sorry! EnJoY!**

* * *

 _Neo and Pyrrha ran down the alleyway. Filth, dirt, and blood stained their hands._

 _The sirens began wailing, far off in the distance. Neo froze and pulled Pyrrha behind a dumpster._

" _Neo, who's here?"_

 _Neo pressed a finger to her lips._

" _Where did you hear the shot coming from?" A cop asked._

" _Over there." Pyrrha peeked out from behind the metal monstrosity to see a young blond pointing to where Neo and Pyrrha had just come from._

 _She gasped, and Neo clapped a hand over her mouth._

 _They looked each other in the eyes._

 _You go that way, I'll go the other way. Neo signed. Pyrrha nodded._

 _They tiptoed out from behind the dumpster, and ran in opposite directions._

 _The moment Pyrrha exited the alleyway, she heard a voice from behind her._

" _Are you okay?"_

 _Pyrrha turned around slowly. A blonde woman in a uniform stood before her._

" _I'm Officer Goodwitch. VPD. Hands up."_

"I'm Officer Goodwitch. I'll be conducting your questioning."

Pyrrha grit her teeth. "I was already questioned."

"And you were deemed uncooperative, so they decided to send me instead of my colleague." Goodwitch sat down at the small metal table and placed a stack of manila-coloured folders on the table.

"Name, age and occupation." The policewoman asked bluntly.

"Pyrrha Nikos, twenty-one, secretary." Pyrrha answered.

"Where do you work?"

" _Hey, kid." Raven called across the parking lot. "Come back here."_

" _Y-yes ma'am." Pyrrha ran toward the older woman._

" _If you're ever asked for your job, just say you work as an assistant for Merlot Industries, 'kay?"_

" _Of course ma'am."_

" _And if they want to call your boss?"_

" _I give them your number."_

" _And if something's happened to me?"_

" _Give them your brother's number."_

" _And tell him?"_

" _Bird is the word."_

" _Good girl." Raven ruffled Pyrrha's hair affectionately. "Now go and do whatever job the Boss gave ya, okay?"_

" _Yes ma'am."_

" _And cut the ma'am crap for Pete's sake."_

"I'm an assistant for the Branwen twins at Merlot Industries." Pyrrha lied.

Glynda slid a phone across the table. "Call them."

Pyrrha picked up the phone and dialed Raven's number.

It went straight to voicemail.

"Hello? Hello? Speak up, I can't hear ya. Probably cuz I'm not here. Leave a message after the beep."

Pyrrha sighed and dialed the number Raven had given her.

"Hello?" A drunken voice slurred at the other end. "This about Raven?"

"Bird is the word." Pyrrha replied.

"Oh my god- are you _fucking_ kidding me? Which one are you?"

"Pyrrha Nikos, your assistant. Remember?"

"Yeah, you're the girl. Didn't you leave that godforsaken hell?"

"Just talk to Officer Goodwitch for me, okay?"

"Do yourself a favour, kid. Get out of there."

Pyrrha passed the phone to Glynda wordlessly.

She spoke with Qrow for a short while. After she got off the phone, she set it down and glared at Pyrrha.

"So what's the truth?" Goodwitch demanded.

"Um…"

"I know the Branwen twins personally. They don't work for Merlot. Raven's been arrested for the same reason you are. Qrow is a private investigator we often hire. I'll ask you one more time. What is the truth?"

"Unemployed."

"Why would you lie?"

On the inside, Pyrrha grinned. A cold, merciless smirk of pure arrogance.

But on the outside, she bit her lip, projecting a sweet, shy exterior.

"To protect myself."

"From what?"

"I stand on the Fifth Amendment."

"On the grounds your answer may tend to incriminate you?"

"Yes."

"Very well then. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?" Glynda asked, an expression of concern on her facial features.

"No."

 _Pathetic fools. They have no idea._

* * *

 **I bet you didn't expect that! Now this is getting fun! Leave a review, as always!**

 **Reviews or critiques are like pizza! They're fuel for authors, and always appreciated!**


	11. Wintertime

**Ladies and gentleman, another chap! Sorry it took me so long!**

Blake rubbed her temples. Working night shifts was exhausting as hell, and it had been a long one. She let out a sigh, and stared back down at the papers on her desk.

The file held the information, mugshot, and warrant of Raven Avianna Branwen, born January 3rd, cycle 675, arrested on the evening of March 23rd, cycle 701. Questioned by Weiss Schnee of the Vale Police Department. Five previous arrests. Two previous incarcerations.

July 27th, cycle 688. Arrested on the charge of carrying a concealed weapon. Probation.

November 14th, cycle 689. Arrested on the charge of carrying an illegal substance. Prison, thirty days.

December 26th, cycle 689. Arrested on the charge of assault. Prison, six months.

Blake let out a whistle. It was a wonder the woman still had a source of income.

"Hey Blake." A whisper interrupted her thoughts.

Blake looked up to see Yang leaning over her, two steaming mugs of coffee in her hand.

"Boiling hot, just how you like it." Yang winked.

"Thanks."

"Your shift is over, you know that, right?"

Blake glanced over at the clock. The arrows pointed to 1:50 AM. "Shit." Yang frowned, concerned.

"You're overworking yourself." She stated. It wasn't a question. It was plain fact. Blake had dark circles under her eyes, her hair was matted and her makeup was smudged.

Blake rolled her eyes. "Who doesn't?"

"Good question. Try Ruby, Weiss, Coco, Jaune, and oh, I dunno, just about everyone else who has intelligence?" Yang shot back.

"Then why is Jaune on that list?" Blake grinned playfully. "Hmm? Tell me, Yang, or else."

"Or else what?"

"Next time you spend the night, you'll sleep on the couch."

Yang gasped in mock surprise. "Oh, will I?"

"Mmm-hmm." Blake winked. "What's it gonna be?"

"I love it when you're feisty." Yang wrapped her arms around Blake and embraced her in a deep, passionate kiss.

"Only for you, Yang." Blake planted a kiss on Yang's neck. The blonde moaned in pleasure.

Officer Goodwitch's voice filtered through the door. "Are you alright in there?"

The two looked at each other in fear. "Maybe we should take this somewhere else?"

 **The next morning…**

Ruby hopped into her car, She jammed in the keys, turned on the radio, and drove onto the highway.

Claude De Blanca's nasal voice filled the red Chevrolet.

"In recent news, Raven Branwen, the woman accused of murdering Summer Rose, has been declared fit to stand trial, if specific conditions are followed. The second suspect, Pyrrha Nikos, has been declared fit, with no conditions. If you have any information, please call the Beacon Tipline at 1-800-123-4567, or message the VPD at . In other crime-related news, Ahsoka Tano has been found innocent of the bombing on Temple Street High School…"

Ruby veered into the parking lot, scanning her card, and parking in a space close enough to the entrance. She opened the car door, and jumped out, grabbing her workbag, and locking her door.

 _Blake, Yang… I wonder how she's coping? I gotta visit Uncle Qrow tonight… Hope I can get some answers._

A ringtone interrupted her thoughts. Casey Lee Williams' new hit, I Burn.

 _Speak of the devil._

She answered the phone.

"Ruby Rose here."

"Hey sis!" Yang said cheerfully. Ruby could hear Blake on the other end, probably berating Yang for leaving her clothes on the floor _again_. It was a problem that Ruby could relate to.

"Hi Yang," Ruby greeted. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Rubes. Blake explained it all to me. Not like I'd want to talk to that bitch anyway, after what she did to our family." Yang's tone turned angrier than Ruby had ever heard it, which was saying something.

"Yang…"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Have you talked to Uncle Qrow?"

"No. Why? I saw him last weekend though."

"Mind having him over for dinner tonight?"

"Of course not!"

"Okay if Weiss and Winter come?"

" _Ruby has a girlfriend!_ " Yang singsonged.

"Yang!"

"Sorry. Love ya sis."

"Alrighty, then I gotta go, and, just saying, you're late. Love ya too." Ruby hung up, and walked into the station, scanning her ID card in the door. The security guard waved, and Ruby waved back, grinning from ear to ear.

She trotted down the hall at a brisk pace, bumping into none other than Winter Schnee in the process. The woman snarled, and opened her mouth to scold Ruby for her mishap, but stopped when she realized she was talking to her sister's girlfriend.

"You must be Ruby." Winter greeted.

"That I am." Ruby answered.

"Come with me. I have information with me about this case of yours. She set off down the hall, leaving Ruby to follow.

Winter turned a corner into an empty conference room. Ruby followed suit. Inside, manila-coloured files were spread across the table, along with bags marked 'Evidence' and photos.

Winter took a seat, and Ruby did the same. She pushed a folder toward Ruby. She opened it, gasping when she saw its contents. Sure, it was in French, but the girl in the picture was unmistakeable.

 _Pyrrha Nikos: Petite Criminelle_

 _ **Pyrrha Nikos: Little Criminal**_

 _Par Peter Mansbridge_

A picture of the red-haired suspect stared up at Ruby.

Winter interrupted her reading. "You need not read further. Ms. Nikos committed crimes outside the country before coming here. Violent crimes. Theft. Attempted murder. All charges were dropped. No lawyers, just dropped. We don't know why this is, but rest assured we will find out. And press charges." Winter rose from her seat, staring Ruby down with an icy glare. "That will be all. I'll see you tonight."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

 **Later that day…**

"You done with the chicken?" Ruby called across the kitchen. In answer, Yang pulled a roast bird out of the oven.

"Yup." Yang set it down on the counter, and went to check on Blake, who was setting out silverware on the dining room table.

"You finished?"

"Yeah." Blake straightened the fork, eyes narrowing.

"OCD, Blake, OCD."

"Shut up."

Yang stuck her tongue out at her Faunus lover. "You're no fun."

Blake chose to ignore the comment, instead asking "Did you hide all the alcohol?"

"Yes, Blakey Dearest"

Blake mentally cringed at the nickname. "In a good spot this time?"

"Is your dresser good enough?"

"I think so."

Just like that, the doorbell rang. Yang could hear voices bickering on the other side.

"Ruby! People! Door!"

"Got it!"

Winter, Weiss and Qrow made their way in.

Winter had a bloody nose, Qrow looked like his eye was going to be blacker than the author's soul the next morning, and Weiss was plain grumpy.

Weiss spoke up. "We carpooled."

Yang poked her head out of the dining room.

"I can see that." She said jokingly.

Ruby offered Winter a tissue. The white-haired woman accepted it and went to the bathroom to clean up her face. Weiss ran after

Once the Schnee sisters had gone, the sisters rounded on their uncle. "What the hell?" Yang whisper-yelled.

"That's your future niece-in-law!" Ruby hissed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Why did you do that?"

"She provoked you." Blake said from the corner of the had slipped in, unnoticed by the trio. "The window was open, and we're on the second floor. Winter said something about your sister and you yelled at her and slapped her, then she punched you back, and you got her nose. I don't entirely agree with you, but I think she got what she deserved."

Qrow stared at Blake, eyes skimming over her bow. "You seem reasonably informed. Why were you watching us?"

"Ruby said you two have some beef." Blake shrugged. "I figured, well, why not see if I could wheedle anything out of you."

"Why did you let them ask me here?"

"You covered for her, didn't you?"

 **A/N: CLIFFHANGER! I hope this wasn't too confusing! Also, would you readers prefer having longer chapters, but waiting longer for an update, or the regular 700-900 words on a weekly schedule?**

 **Leave a review and tell me!**

 **Next time on: Skeletons in the Closet:**

 **-We find out whether Blake knows more then she should.**

 **-And how Blake knows it.**

 **-What Pyrrha's skeletons in the closet are.**

 **-A little more on Raven and Summer's relationship.**

 **-A little more on what Qrow did that night.**


	12. Wintertime: Part II

The occupants of the dining room ate in terse silence. Qrow and Winter glared across the table at each other, engaged in what seemed to be a 'glare at the other person while being incredibly and weirdly nice and polite to everyone around you contest'. Blake just watched the animosity in almost content relaxation.

"Pass the salt." Weiss' voice cut through the quiet. Winter handed it the salt shaker to her.

Blake sawed through her chicken breast and poured herself some cheap red wine. She took a long sip and popped the roast bird in her mouth.

"I don't think she did it." Winter said, staring at Qrow from across the table.

Qrow growled, hands curling into fists. "That's exactly the point," He began, sounding as if he was trying his best not to sock Winter.

Blake spoke up. "Let's be adults and not give each other black eyes and bloody noses this time." Her words were ignored by both Winter and Qrow.

Qrow glared at Blake, who stared back coldly. "If we're done with the formalities here, it's not up to Winter to decide. So why don't we just enjoy the meal and be done with this."

"It's not up for you to decide either. And we both know you won't let it go."

"Excuse me?"

"You loved her. Summer."

"Don't you dare talk about her like that, you don't know what-"

"I know exactly what went on with you two. You told her, and she rejected you. And she started dating Branwen. But they had a falling out."

"You have five seconds to shut the hell up, or else-"

"Then she fell in love with Tai. After that, Raven went back to your Tribe and left your niece because she didn't think she could be a good mother. She was already unstable, and that just made her worse."

"I swear to God, Winter-"

"Shut up and listen. She was drugged. They found them in her blood test that night."

Qrow was livid. Ruby stood up and placed a hand on her uncle's shoulder, but he pushed it away. Yang watched in pure shock as her uncle screamed at the white haired woman in front of him.

"SHE KILLED SUMMER! RAVEN MURDERED HER AND I HELPED HER COVER IT UP! Raven was covered in blood, and I didn't know who it belonged to, and I just told her what to say, and…" Qrow's voice broke and he blinked back tears. "She said she couldn't remember. She said Summer was gone and that Salem told her to do it or Taiyang, Summer, she and I would all die. She said she'd never forgive herself. I just helped her hide what she did and that redhead just watched us, and I could see the goddamned smirk on her face, that _bitch_ ," He fell to his knees, no longer able to hold back tears, staring down at the oak wood-paneled floor. Ruby ran over to him, enveloping her uncle in a deep hug. "After that, she couldn't live with the guilt. It drove her insane. And it's my fucking fault that Yang never had a mother and all this time she was living with me, that Summer's killer was never caught, and it was ruled an _accident_ , that my sister lives in some hellish, demented version of reality."

"No it isn't."

All eyes were now turned on Yang, who had for the past few minutes (though they had felt like years) stood frozen in shock of the situation going on around her. Yang just stared back. "It's their fault. That Tribe you were talking about. I don't blame Raven for hurting Mom. If she ever did. And it's certainly not your fault."

"Yang, I- Thank you."

"Don't thank me for stating the facts."

"She's right." Weiss piped up. "And Winter, you really shouldn't have poked into his business like that," Winter opened her mouth in protest, but was silenced by Weiss. "Yes, I get that a murder of a military officer that was ruled an accident wrongly is probably the business of a VBI agent, and we'll talk about it at home, but you can't say it like it's his fault."

"I am sorry." Winter apologized. "But in no way does this make us friends."

"Whatever you say, Ice Queen."

 **A few hours later...**

Pyrrha idly picked at a loose thread on her orange jumpsuit, a sick grin on her face. She listened to the choked sobs emanating from the solitary cells down the hall.

 _They really should move those. When I get out, I'll have to remember to lodge a complaint._ She thought. _Ah well, entertainment for the night, I suppose._ She looked past the bars and out at the window, through which rays of moonlight shone. _Besides, maybe I'll find someone that the Boss likes._ One of her cellmates, a young woman with long green hair piled into a bun on top of her head rolled off her bunk with a snore. Pyrrha scoffed. _Or maybe not._

The clock struck eight, the chime echoing throughout the empty hallways, save the guards at each door. Pyrrha laid down on the small cot, placing her hands underneath her long, red hair. She looked up at the sagging mattress above her and giggled as the realization dawned on her. _They think it's Branwen. Oh, that's hilarious. She's too weak. That's why she left. That's why they haven't come for our Tribe yet, they don't think we're involved._ A guard trotted past her cell and glanced in her direction. Pyrrha cupped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. The guard walked away.

 _Oh, this is going to be such fun._

 **Meanwhile, in Vale…**

Blake punched on the number on the burner phone. She would have used her cell, but some of her informants were… less than law-abiding citizens. A dial tone rang, then a female robotic voice asked "This is a long-distance call to Menagerie. Extra fees will be charged to your account. To continue and complete your call, press one. To hang up, press four." Blake pressed the one key. A male voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, Sun. It's Blake."

"Oh, hi Blake! What do you need?"

"Anything you have on Pyrrha Nikos and Raven Branwen within twenty-four hours."

* * *

 **Woohoo! Long chapter! Very revealing chapter! Court action may start at around the next chapter or the chapter after that. Also, views on this story have reached over 2,500! I am so honoured that so many found this good enough to read. You guys are AMAZING! Thank you so much!**

 **Next time on: Skeletons in the Closet**

-Some court action

-Pyrrha's skeletons in the closet

-More JNPR

-More Pyrrha

-More Raven

-Sun. (No, this is **NOT** a Black Sun story, Sun is just a friend)

\- Some Whiterose (FINALLY, cuz gay ships are bae ships)


	13. This Changes Everything

**I am sorry for not updating sooner. My doc manager wasn't working *cough cough FF your doc manager needs some extra help* There was a size issue with the text. And I'm a perfectionist who works offline most of the time so...**

"All rise!" The cry of the bailiff echoed throughout the courtroom. Ren and Nora both stood.

Justice Ironwood walked into the room and sat down, his cold steely eyes scanning the courtroom. The room followed suit. The chains around Pyrrha's hands and feet clanked as she sat, causing more people to stare at her than already. She blushed in embarrassment and Nora laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry, there's not a case Ren and I haven't won," She whispered "And we're not starting our losing streak today!"

Pyrrha pretended to smile at the comment. _Valkyrie thinks I'm afraid. Ha! I have the means to blackmail his Honour over there. How long do I have to put up with this for?_

"Councillors, are you ready?" Ironwood asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"The defense is ready, Your Honour." Nora said with a bubbly grin.

"The prosecution is ready." A blue-haired man by the name of Neptune Vasilias affirmed.

"Then let's begin." Ironwood sighed. "And let's keep this brief."

"On the night of the disappearance of Summer Rose, gunshots were heard, according to the police report," Nora stated. "Now, my client was found at the scene covered in what was later found to be her own blood, as her toe had been shot. By whom, the court does not know. But the bullet was that of a nine-millimeter shotgun, which was owned by both the victim and the other suspect. And who was covered in blood, was rumoured to be unstable-"

"Objection, Your Honour!" Vasilias shouted. "Hearsay."

Ironwood nodded. "Sustained. Go on, Ms. Valkyrie."

"My apologies, Your Honour. Raven Branwen, with, might I add, two previous convictions to her name related to gang violence, and noted as unstable during her psychiatric assessment, was at the scene with a carving knife-"

"A clean weapon!" Neptune interjected.

"Councillors, please, do not interrupt each other." Ironwood reprimanded. "Ms. Valkyrie, please continue."

"Anyways, Branwen was found at the scene, with the same drugs in her system as my client, in higher doses. She claimed she could not recall anything from that night, and she went home with her brother, Qrow. My client has no previous convictions, no implicated gang violence, and most of all, no evidence against her. So I ask you, why are you prosecuting Ms. Nikos, when Branwen is obviously to blame?"

"Mr. Vasilias?"

"Actually, that's not true at all."

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

Coco Adel was a normally calm person. Unless anyone took her BeaconBucks no-fat, cream, two sugars and extra espresso coffee, insulted Velvet, Fox, or Yatsuhashi, or there was some extremely urgent news that had to be delivered. Essentially, if business as usual happened. So, Coco ran through the halls, trying to find Blake's office, a look of urgency on her face. "Gah! Why do they have to make these alphabetical?" Luckily, Coco ran right into Blake. Unluckily, she plowed the cat Faunus over.

"Oh, hello Blake." Coco grinned sheepishly, taking off her signature sunglasses. She got off Blake, and stuck a hand out to help her up. Blake accepted it. "What do you have for me today, Coco?"

"They found a body out in Queen Serenity Square. The info just got released, along with a cause of death. There's ID. It's Rose."

"Are you kidding me? A body? What?" Blake stared at Coco as if she had just told her she'd seen Qrow Branwen kissing Justice Ironwood.

"Yup. And it's not stabbing. Blunt force trauma and shooting. Probably a plank of wood on the ground at the time. Body was found at a construction site. D'you know who had a gun? Rose. Branwen didn't have hers at the time. Nikos could have slipped it off her." Blake's mouth fell open in astonishment. "This changes everything."

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

Qrow sat at the bar, staring down the shot of whiskey like it was the devil himself. Trying to drown your memories in alcohol wasn't exactly an easy process. It leaves you staring at your drink, remembering the time your sister came back to your dorm looking like hell, with another one of the Tribe's tattoos on her arm.

 _The apartment door creaked open. It was late. Much too late for anyone to be up. Raven tiptoed in, stepping as lightly as possible to avoid waking anyone. She went over the small cabinet, rummaging through the pile of disorganized knick-knacks to find the first-aid supplies. She grabbed a bottle of disinfectant, a tube of antiseptic cream, some bandages and an ice pack. A faint light flickered on in Qrow's room and Raven froze, trying in vain to stay completely silent._

" _Rae? That you?" He called._

" _Uh, yeah. Go back to sleep, I'm fine."_

" _Nah, I'm cravin' ice cream. Do we have any- What the hell happened to you?" Qrow ran over tp her._

" _I got in a fight. Get your frozen delicacy and leave me alone." Raven spat._

 _His gaze fell upon the tattoo. "Oh my god Raven, you… How could you?"_

" _We need the money. And they found us. Just like I said they would." A tone of annoyance crept into Raven's voice. "You know what happens. You can't just say no. I told them Ozpin made us do it. They won't take you if I do it."_

" _How the could you do that?" Qrow slapped Raven across her face and she winced "Ow…"_

" _You know what hurts more? Knowing your own sister went off and joined the very people who oppressed us. What kind of jobs are you doing? And if I ever find out you lied, I swear…" His voice trailed off, dangling an empty threat in front of her._

" _Just ferrying. I'm nothing more than a messenger."_

" _So why'd I see a gun under your bed, huh?"_

" _I'm licensed, remember?"_

" _Oh yeah. But that still doesn't give you the right to go and do that without telling us first. Here." He took the disinfectant and applied it to the cut on her cheek. Raven winced and pulled away._

" _Are you gonna stop?"_

" _Qrow, I can't."_

" _I know."_

Qrow banged his fist on the counter. It was his fault. He should have known. He could have stopped it. Stopped everything. But now, this was reality. A stranger walked into the bar and sat down beside him. A stranger with blond hair and blue eyes. No, not a stranger. Qrow was sure he'd seen the kid on the news with that girl… Nikos? He ordered an orange soda and looked over at Qrow.

"Rough day, huh?"

"You could say that."

 **Yup! Another chapter, with more insight and cliffies. Yay! And court stuff. And if the court stuff is wrong, this is all I know. Because I watch lawyer shows. If I got it wrong, please tell me. And leave a review. That helps. *tries to make smol cute smile* Pweez?**


	14. Here Comes The Ice Cream Truck

**Hey-o! Here's another lovely chapter! ENJOY! Yahoo!**

Neptune walked over to the stand. A young woman with pink and brown hair and the same heterochromatic eyes in an orange jumpsuit sat, trembling. He smiled warmly, and she returned a shaky grin back.

"Ma'am, could you state your name for the record?" He asked gently.

 _Neopolitan Labelle-Torchwick, sir._ Neo signed. The interpreter, Sky Lark, cleared his throat. "Neopolitan Labelle-Torchwick." He translated.

"Thank you. Mrs. Labelle-Torchwick." Neptune said. "Now, this may be difficult to answer, but where were you on the night Summer Rose disappeared?"

Neo signed something Neptune didn't understand. Thankfully, the interpreter was good at his job.

"I was there with Nikos. She was sent by the head to eliminate Rose and to take out Branwen."

"And why was that?"

"The head thought Branwen was a traitor and wanted to punish her for her actions by murdering one of her friends. The head originally planned on killing her brother as well."

Neptune nodded. "So you were part of this gang, The Tribe? And you were Nikos' partner for whatever illegal activities at the time. You were arrested, also, and are still serving your sentence in Bellevue?"

Neo nodded twice.

"And did Nikos do this willingly?"

Neo bit her lip and nodded. Jaune stood up and shouted. "That's absurd! Pyrrha would never hurt a fly!"

Justice Ironwood stood up and yelled across the courtroom "Sit down or I will hold you in contempt! Mr. Vasilias, please continue."

"Mrs. Labelle-Torchwick, did Ms. Nikos enjoy these criminal activities?"

Neo gulped and looked around. Nora stood up. "Objection, your honour! Badgering the witness! The witness is clearly distressed by that question."

"Overruled. Ma'am, please continue."

Neo drew in a sharp breath and nodded. The whole court sat in stunned silence, as did Pyrrha.

 _Shit. Neo, you bitch._ Pyrrha thought. _Betraying us like that. Disgusting._ But Pyrrha knew what she had to do. She folded inward and sobbed.

Ironwood sighed. "Ms. Nikos, if you cannot calm down, we will remove you from the room." Pyrrha just cried harder. Ren began to rub soothing circles on her back. This seemed to get her to calm down a bit, but not enough to stay in the courtroom. The bailiff escorted her out.

Neptune faced Nora. "Your witness."

Nora took out a small bubblegum pink notebook and a pink pen decorated with feathers and trotted over to Neo. "This must be terribly hard for you, ma'am. My condolences." She said. Neo signed something that Nora knew meant _Thank you._ "Now, what I'm about to ask you may be very hard to answer. Are you prepared to deal with that?"

Neo signed. "She is." Sky said. "Please go on."

"Were you with my client on the night Summer Rose died?" Neo began to sign rapidly, with Sky watching her intently.

 _I refuse to answer on the grounds my answer may tend to incriminate me._

Sky stared at the face of a woman wearing a short red dress in the room. She smirked, and nodded. "Yes."

The pink and brown eyed woman sat in the stand in shock, her mouth agape. She began to make hand gestures but stopped when Nora approached her. The ginger's face was unreadable. "And did you try to hurt the victim?"

Neo made hand gestures only Sky could understand. _He's lying, somebody do something! I never hurt her, I left before it happened!_

He cleared his throat to answer. "The witness does not recall."

Nora grinned. "Okee-dokee then. That will be all." She zipped over to her seat and sat down. Neo was escorted from the room in cuffs, looking at Sky, bewildered at what had just occurred.

"Due to this new evidence, there will be a two-hour recess." The occupants of the room filed out, along with Sky Lark, who, after leaving, turned a corner and bumped into his contact.

"Ms. Fall. Do you have the money?" A wad of cash was pressed into his open palm. "Of course I do, cutie. You held your end of the bargain, I'll hold mine." She kissed his cheek, leaving a flaming red mark on his face. She smirked and purred into his ear "If you ever tell anyone, I'll kill you. Got it?"

"Yes."

She pulled away and sashayed down the hall. "Bye-bye, Larky boy."

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

Jaune's hand shook as he held his drink. "Pyrrha, she was spiteful and mean when I met her… like a sociopath. But when we fell in love, she was softer. Happier. And now…"

Qrow nodded sympathetically. "I get ya, kid."

"I don't think she did it, I mean no offense, but…"

"Don't worry 'bout it." He took a swig from his flask. "I do too. I've given up anyway."

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

The only time Ruby had ever cried in front of Weiss was when she saw Yang in the hospital after losing her arm. Ruby was never sad. She was a burning ball of light and happiness in this cold, dark world. But news like this would make any sane person cry. So why should Ruby be any different? She lay curled up in Weiss' lap, sobbing into her stomach.

"They found her… Mom. After all this time. Dad is so happy, he's finally got some closure… but at the same time, it means," She sniffled "She's really gone." Weiss kissed Ruby's forehead and stroked her hair.

"Ruby, you do know after she was missing all this time, she wasn't going to come back?"

"Deep down, I think I did. But that didn't stop me from hoping… and now it's real." Ruby looked up at Weiss. "We never had a proper funeral for her...just a memorial service. Now I guess she'll get one… it has been a long time."

"It's only right."

"Weiss, you know, we had an empty casket we filled with keepsakes. My red hoodie was in there." She sighed

"You had a red hoodie?" Weiss asked.

"Mom made it for me when I was little. I wore it every single day until she went missing. Then I wore the white one. It's Mom's." She picked at a thread on the hoodie she was wearing.

"I always wondered why you never let me touch it."

"Is it my fault?" Ruby turned away from Weiss, silver orbs filled with tears.

"What?! Ruby, of course not."

"Well, I mean I was born right at the time where Bra-"

"Stop right there, Ruby Rose! Do you honestly think that it's your fault two people you didn't know existed until last week hurt your mother?"

"When you put it like that…" Ruby let her head rest on Weiss' shoulder.

Weiss placed a hand on her hips and pulled her lover closer to her. "Angel, you know I'm right." She closed her eyes, moving her hands behind Ruby's neck gently. She brought her lips closer and leaned in, and Ruby did the same. They kissed, a short, quick, butterfly kiss, but Weiss came closer and left a quick peck on her neck. Ruby giggled. "That tickles."

Weiss winked. "I know what will tickle more."

"Don't you dare Weiss- AAH! STOP! IT TICKLES!"

 **RECAP TIME: Whiterose fluff, more Qrow-angst, and DISCOVERIES!**

 **Leave a review, and tell me, are you Team Pyrrha (for the murderer, remember, she said we, not I) Team Raven, or Team Ice Cream Tru-I mean Neo. Also! CALLING ALL ARTISTS WHO ARE WILLING TO DO THINGS FOR FREE! (Hi, I'm Broke, nice ta meet ya!) I need me some cover art. If not, that's fine, I'll just make the cover Summer's grave.**

 **Cheers,**

 **~Tasie**


	15. Decisions

The buzzer rang, its grating sound penetrating those around it; specifically the occupants of the visiting room. A blonde girl stepped in, surveying the scene with distaste. She zeroed in on a woman with black hair and red eyes and stalked towards her.

Tension hung in the atmosphere around the two women. It brimmed with hurt, anger, and things left unsaid. If looks could kill, Raven Branwen would be dead on the linoleum floor, six bullets in her brain, and Yang Xiao Long would be holding a smoking gun.

"Yang." Raven greeted.

"Raven."

"I didn't think you'd come."

"I didn't think I would either." The blonde's face fixed in a scowl, staring at her mother with the same blood-red eyes.

"Look, Yang-"

"You let me think you were my aunt for six years, you disappear, and now you think you can just waltz back into my life!" The red faded from Yang's lilac orbs for a second, then came back in full force. "How could you?!"

"Qrow told you, didn't he?"

"What's it to you?"

"He told you about happened with me and Summer. You know what I meant." Raven's mouth folded into a grim smile, one devoid of joy or amusement. "Why are you here?"

"I have to give you this. Dad can't even look at that photo of Mom, you and Qrow he keeps on the mantle, so I have to deliver this." She slid a black envelope across the gray table with flowing cursive on the flap.

 _Taiyang, Ruby and Yang Rose-Xiao Long regret to inform you of the passing of Summer Marguerite Rose, on the date of January 27th, cycle 690. Please join us for a memorial service on July 14th, cycle 701._

"Bit too late, don't you think?" The black-haired woman sighed.

"How dare you-"

"I dare because she's gone, okay? What, did you believe I killed her?" She asked, eyes flashing with anger. A guard got up from his chair and his eye travelled over to the pair. She took a deep breath, evidently restraining herself from screaming at Yang.

"Evidence isn't holding up great for you." Yang shot back.

"Worse for Pyrrha Nikos. My lawyer says I'll be acquitted." Raven sighed. "But why are you really here? Yang, I know you." She looked at her, praying to whatever god existed that Yang would be honest with her.

"My mother knows me. Summer Rose is my mother, the one who raised me. You left me when I was six, all while telling me you were my aunt." Yang clenched her hands into fists. "So no, _Raven_ , you don't own me."

"Tai and Summer helped." Raven replied.

"I know that. But you lied. I still love you, you know that?"

"I know. I love you too, Firecracker. But you really think I did it?" Raven reached across the table, resting her hand on Yang's prosthetic.

"No, I just- I don't know, It's hard, okay?!" The blonde threw her arms up into the air and let them fall down to her sides.

"I get what you mean." Yang's phone beeped, and she picked it up, pressing the green answer button. "Yeah? Hi Weiss. Now? Are you sure?" She paused, waiting for Weiss to respond. "No, no, it's fine. Yes, I'll be there in time for the meeting. Yeah, I know. Pick up some donuts, will you? Okay, okay. Bye."

"You have to go?" The red-eyed woman asked.

Yang sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Unfortunately." She stood up, placing her phone in her back pocket. "I'll… see you around?"

"See you around, Firecracker. Burn bright."

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

"Okay, guys, so do we all know why we're here?" Ruby clapped her hands, addressing the population of the room. Thirteen pairs of eyes stared directly at her and nodded.

"Perfect! So before we begin, I'd like to congratulate Velvet and Coco on their engagement. Good luck!" The room applauded the happy couple, who were sitting across from each other, smiling brightly. "Now that we've done that, I'd like to ask Sergeant Belladonna to give us the low-down on this case. Blake?" The cat Faunus strode up to the front of the boardroom.

"Thanks Ruby. As you all probably know, this particular case has two suspects. Suspect number one, Pyrrha Nikos. Ms. Nikos was found that night with drugs in her system. She had a clean weapon, like Branwen, and was shot in the left foot, either by Branwen or the victim. We don't know who. During her trial, a witness stated she enjoyed criminal actions and actively participated in them. Ms. Nikos did not however, have a criminal record." The meeting room was filled with the sound of pens scratching on paper. "Now, suspect number two. Raven Branwen. Five offenses. Clean weapon, drugged. Noted as unstable. Although, her trial hasn't started yet, so there's only evidence from the last case. Anyone who wants to look into that can ask me later. That clear? Good."

All of a sudden, Yang burst into the room with a box of donuts and a tray of coffees. "Sorry I'm late! Weiss didn't get the food, so I got them, and…"

Ruby pinched her nose and sighed. "Yang, it's fine. Thank the two gods you got the coffee." She grabbed one and downed half of it in a gulp. "Blake just finished briefing them anyway. So, uh, we're just meeting on which one gets charges dropped. We've called the DA, they said it was in our hands. Oz said to vote, so here we are. It needs to be at least sixty percent of us to decide. You ready?" She asked.

"Uh, okay." Yang sat down, and Ruby followed suit. Blake paced around the front of the room.

"All in favour of dropping charges against just Pyrrha Nikos?" No hands were raised.

"All in favour of dropping charges against only Raven Branwen?" Ten hands went up.

"All in favour of dropping charges against both?" No hands went up. "Okay, how about continuing to prosecute?" Three people raised their hands.

"Okay, so Branwen it is. Anyone want to challenge that?" No one spoke up. "So that's that. Decision made. Thanks for coming, and Nebula, we need that statement by Thursday at most. See you at the staff party next week." Blake left the room swiftly and trotted into the hall, followed by Ruby, Weiss and Yang.

"That easy, huh?" Ruby asked.

"Seems so."

 **I didn't get this out late at all. What are you talking about. Yeah, it's late. If there are any inconsistencies here, feel free to tell me in a review. That little button down there. Press it, it doesn't bite. As always, thank you for reading**


	16. Message

**Hello! I'm back!**

 **Reader review responses:**

 **THB4: It bit you? Oh no! I'll have to discipline it. And thank you for pointing that out. Thanks for your review!**

 **knight5272: Raven. Thanks for your review!**

The morning light lit the outdoors. Raven stood out in the penitentiary parking lot, lit cigarette in hand. She watched a woman in red with a smirk plastered on her face saunter toward her, shiny black high heels clicking on the pavement.

"Cinder," She greeted "Bitchy as always." She took a drag of her cigarette and blew smoke in Cinder's face. She coughed and turned away, fanning the toxic fumes away from herself.

"Raven," Cinder purred. "Sloppy as always." She placed a hand on her hips. "You look well."

"I wish I could say the same for you, Cinder. But you look like a whirlwind of bad decisions and eighties hairstyles. What can I do for you?"

"Actually, it's what I can do for you." Cinder winked.

"Why are you here?" All traces of emotion had drained from Raven's features and she was now looking down at Cinder with a cold glare.

"The Tribe sends its greetings." Cinder replied. "And a message." She folded her arms and batted her eyelashes. In a most innocent and mocking tone, she asked. "I don't suppose you would want to know what it is?"

Raven grabbed the collar of Cinder's dress, pulling her forward. Cinder could feel her heavy, agitated breathing as she hissed: "Listen up, Fall. You tell me what the Tribe wants to tell me, or the next time I'm charged with murder, it will be a murder I actually committed. What's the goddamn message?" She hissed.

Cinder squeaked, knowing that Raven wasn't messing around. Raven grinned and pinched Cinder's cheek with her free hand. "What's this?" She asked playfully. "Is Little Mrs- Sorry, Little _Miss_ Fall scared? Come on, Cin-Cin. Out with it."

Raven let go of Cinder. Cinder smoothed out her dress and molded her features back into a smirk. "They say if you want to come back, you'll be welcomed back with open arms."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Tell them that I say I'll consider it, when Hell freezes over, that is." She bent down and stubbed out her cigarette. "I wish I could say I enjoyed this meeting, but then I would be lying."

"The same to you. But I'd rethink my decision if I were you. One does not anger the Queen."

"Goodbye, Cinder." Raven turned around and stalked away, flipping the bird as she went.

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

Ruby sat alone on the bench, tossing corn kernels to the sparrows in the dirt. She looked behind her at the memorial stone. Softly, in a low whisper only the birds could have heard, she said: "Hi, Mom."

She left the birds with the bag of kernels as she crept toward the memorial stone. "You know, it's funny. We can't bury you yet, and we already sent out funeral invites. Oh, you know Aunt Rae? Yeah, she turned out to be Yang's mom. You knew, didn't you? Why didn't you tell us?" A solitary tear rolled down her face, splashing onto the grass beneath. "Why didn't you tell us about the Tribe? It could have happened to us, you know?" She reached into her satchel and pulled out a lump of white fabric. Ruby shook it out, and a white hoodie with a burning red rose emblem emblazoned on the front, with the words "Wild Rose" prominently displayed on the front rested in her hands.

She draped it over the memorial stone. "Here you go. I'm getting too big for it, and it always was your favorite." She sniffed, wiping tears from her eyes. "I love you, Mom." She hugged the marble stone. "I miss you so much."

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

Blake opened the cupboard and reached into it, pulling out a bright blue bag of shrimp crisps and a six-pack of orange cream soda. She grabbed her burner phone, punching in a number and popped a few crisps in her mouth.

"This is a long-distance call to Menagerie. Extra fees will be charged to your account. To continue and complete your call, press one. To hang up, press four." She pressed the one key.

"Sun? It's me."

"Oh! Hi, Blake!" Sun greeted enthusiastically. The sound of sipping a drink (Probably a cold beer, if she knew him well enough) could be heard over the phone. "What do you need?"

"I was wondering when you were gonna send me that info. Which you said you would send last week. I don't need anything on Branwen, she's been let off." Blake sat down on the red leather loveseat, reaching into her bag of crisps and chomping down on another one. "So what do you have for me on Nikos?"

Sun sucked in a breath. He sighed. Blake imagined him pinching the bridge of his nose. "Blake, I need you to understand that the people I've gone to have only given me one thing on Nikos. They want nothing to do with her?"

"Why? I get she might have killed someone. Your people have helped us before. Why not again?"

Sun sighed again. "Blake, do I have to spell it out for you? The Tribe is poison. To my guys, even talking about them is a tremendous risk. I know this one guy, Sage. He sold info about them and his dad was found dead. Shot."

"Oh my God." Blake gasped. "We knew they were dangerous, but…" Her voice trailed off.

"Yup. I tell you, I had an encounter with a Tribe member yesterday! They're awful!" Sun exclaimed "They heard me talking about a guy named Tyrian Callows. This big burly dude told me, and I quote 'Shut up about us and you'll be a grease stain on the ground.' and he shoved me into dumpster. You better be careful if you're working on a case with them involved. There are rumors about what they do, and well, let's just say it doesn't end well for the victims."

"Sun, do you have anything on Nikos? I need it." Blake said, voice hard and demanding.

"I can't tell you over the phone. Meet me at the docks on Friday at four in the morning. I can get a boat out to Vale." Sun answered.

"Alright, but I'm counting on you, got it?"

"Got it." The line went dead.

 **Thank you very much for reading, it means one hell of a lot. Also, this story cracked, drumroll please 5,000 VIEWS! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Please leave a review on your way out, and thank you once again for following the development of Skeletons in the Closet.**

 **Tasie out. *mic drop with Coco Adel's sunglasses***


	17. Escapism Strange But Not Unwelcome

"What do you have for me, Monkey Boy?" Blake stood in front of the pier where Sun hung, tail curled on the lamppost. Sun grinned, and popped a bite of banana into his mouth. "Well," He said, through a mouthful of banana. "Ya see, there's this dude, down in Oasis. He gets me what I need. Now, get this. His brother was crippled by the Tribe. Nikos specifically." Blake nodded, a ghost of a victorious smile playing on her lips. "And he's willing to testify. So that's a plus."

Blake's eyes widened and she grinned. "Sun, that's perfect! When does he get here?"

"In about a week or so. You ready?"

"With this? Hell yeah."

"I'm glad you're happy with it." Sun folded his arms and smiled. "All in a day's work for Sun Wukong, Super Information Broker!" He struck a heroic pose, flexing his rather large biceps and winking. Blake giggled, covering her mouth with her hands to hide the sound from any passerby.

"Sun! Someone could hear us!" She reprimanded.

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."

She shrugged. "Oh well, we can't change it now. When's the guy coming?" Blake asked expectantly.

"Three days." Sun replied.

Blake fist-pumped. "Thank you so much, Sun!" She hugged him. Sun hugged her back. "No need to thank me, kitten. I do this all the time."

"Still."

"Okay then." Sun gave in to the warm embrace and wrapped his arms around Blake.

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

The buzzers rang out through the halls. A calm but firm male voice sounded over the speaker, ordering all inmates to return to their cells. The sound of guards' feet thudding on the floor filled the air. Pyrrha smirked, laughing to herself.

 _Soon, when this is all done, I'll get back to Jaune, and we'll be together again._ She thought. Pyrrha squirmed in the vent, trying to fit in the tight metal space. _Oh, are you kidding me?_ The shouting of the guards came up from below and she froze in place. The shouting eventually faded away. Pyrrha moved toward the small exit at the end of the tunnel. When she reached it, she took the small toothbrush that she had filed into a point from her pocket. Pushing it into the screw, she loosened the vent cover and pried it off. Sliding her body through the opening, Pyrrha hopped out, placing her directly outside the electric fence. She began to run, and while she ran, she giggled at the prison's stupidity. The giggle became a chuckle, and the chuckle became a full-on maniacal laugh.

 _Fools. Idiots. Really, they didn't know? The tattoo should have been enough._ At the mention of the tattoo, she looked at her left forearm, where a red bird tattoo dwelled. Underneath, Salem's emblem stood out proudly, indicating she was part of the much-envied Inner Circle. _Still, it is amusing enough._ Pyrrha could hear the sirens off in the distance, so she did the smart thing and hid near a bush.

 _I think there's a safe house around a here… somewhere._

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

The door opened. Raven folded her arms. Qrow glared at her. "Oh, so they finally let you out?"He asked coldly.

Raven bit her lip and suddenly became fascinated with the carpeting. "It wasn't me."

"So who could have done it?" He spat. "Huh? Who could have killed Summer? We both know you had a gun."

"I didn't have it that night." She pleaded. "But Summer had hers."

"So Nikos just took it from her? Is that your story, you goddamned liar?"

"I've never lied about something that serious." Raven lifted her chin to glare back defiantly.

"You have and you know it." At this, Raven flinched at her brother's razor-sharp words.

"I wouldn't lie about this."

"Yeah? Well tell that to Summer." Qrow tried to slam the door, but Raven held it in place. "Telling her what you were doing, putting her life at stake. I guess it wasn't enough for you, was it, huh?" He blinked back tears. "I can't believe I covered for you."

Raven swallowed. "Please, I never-"

"YOU NEVER WHAT, RAVEN? WHAT GOD-AWFUL THING HAVE YOU _NOT_ DONE?" He roared "How many people do you intend to drag down to the fiery depths of Hell with you? Because mission accomplished, Raven, I'm going straight down with you!"

"I…" Her voice trailed off. "I'm sorry it has to be this way. I never intended for Summer to die, nor did I kill her. I loved her, Qrow, just as you did!"

Qrow clenched his fists. "You have no right to say that about me or her! You have no right to be here in front of me!"

"Qrow, please…"

Qrow stared at Raven murderously. "Get out of my face." He spat, and slammed the door with a thud. Raven sighed, closing her eyes and placing her hands in her coat pockets. She kicked at the dirty carpet. Raven tried opening the door, but found it was locked. She inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring. Raven fished a key out of her pocket and jammed it in, only to find Qrow had changed the locks. "Go the hell away, you _murderer_! Get away from me before I call the cops!"

"Qrow, I didn't… I would never..."

"No. Get away me. Stop haunting us with your past. I can deal with it, you should have too." His voice was muffled by the door.

"Please… don't… please, I'm begging you. You're my brother, you're supposed to help me."

"You were supposed to help me. And you didn't. I'm not returning a favor that was never made. Now go before I take matters into my own hands."

"Please…" Raven's voice pitched. "Please, Qrow. Don't do this."

"Goodbye, sister. I wish I could say it was nice knowing, but that would be a lie. And we both know how much your master Salem hates lies."

"She's not my master!" Raven shouted, losing control of her anger and kicking the door. The impact made a small dent.

The sound of Qrow walking away was heard. "Goodbye Raven. I'll see you around, I guess."

 **I really must apologize for getting this out so late. I'm so sorry. My time has been taken up by a project that required (Oh thank the two gods it's finally done) all of my time and attention. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading. Please leave a review on your way out, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	18. Down, Down, Down

Three knocks. Loud and sharp. A gruff voice he could barely register yelling due to his absolute fatigue, as it was three o'clock in the morning. One set of hands clamped over his mouth, another forcing him to his knees, dragging him out of his apartment, yanking a black garbage bag over his head.

The car ride was bumpy, but he didn't care. They dragged him out, put a gun to his head. And asked him. It was a female voice, sweet and smooth as newly-poured cement.

"Where is she?" The owner of the voice demanded. She pressed a gun to his head. He smiled grimly. "Gone. I kicked her out." He swallowed. "What, you're gonna kill me?"

"Maybe. Who knows?" She laughed bitterly. "I don't care." She took off his blindfold, revealing a bare field and a group of two cutthroat-looking teens. She stared into his maroon orbs with her amber-tinted pools. She pulled out a die and winked. "You think I'm playing your game, Cinder?" Qrow raised an eyebrow. "Am I?"

She grinned. "But you are. Roll the die." She took out a pocket knife and cut free his hands.

Qrow took it and rolled the dice around in his palm before tossing it up into the air. It sailed up and landed on the barren ground with a thunk. He had rolled a one. Cinder licked her lips. "So sorry, but it's your unlucky day. You get to go meet your maker." Qrow closed his eyes as the safety clicked off. "Any last words?"

The man laughed bitterly. "Fuck you, Cinder Fall. Fuck Salem. You're all soulless killers and thieves whom I pity. I mean, who would want to be one of you, right?"

Cinder snarled, stomping her high-heeled foot into the dry dirt. "Thirty seconds to make peace with whatever god you believe in, _Birdy._ "

Qrow closed his eyes. "Well, God, if you're listening, I'm as remorseful as one gets. I'm not pulling your leg either, For what I did wrong, I'm sorry. And I really, really wish it wasn't this way."

"Ten seconds."

"Go to hell, Cinder. But if you kill me, know this. I died protecting everyone from you." Qrow opened his eyes one last time, smiling sadly.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Three gunshots echoed across the empty field. Cinder kicked the man's body coldly. "He's dead." She smirked. "Let's get moving. We have work to do."

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

Pyrrha sipped her tea leisurely, smiling at the green-haired girl in front of her. "Pleasure as always, Emerald." Emerald winked, and took another long drag of her cigarette. "Pleasure is all mine." She blew out a cloud of noxious smoke. "Now, what brings you to Dex's Diner of all places? You're one of Salem's people, so you don't have to hide."

The green-eyed girl leaned forward, pursing her lips. "Well, I'm on the run from the boys in blue. Didn't you hear? I broke out." Emerald's eyes widened. "No way."

Pyrrha nodded. "Yes. And you're a safehouse, a common ground. May I stay awhile? You'll be in my debt."

Emerald leaned back. "Well, in that case, I can't refuse, can I?"

Pyrrha got up. "No, I suppose you can't. Now could you get me some clothes other than these wretched prison fatigues?"

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

Weiss grunted, staring at the computer in frustration. Ten days of evidence digging, all fruitless.

Well, she had something. It wasn't much for a Schnee, but it was something Before Rose had died, she texted an unknown user. She pulled it up on the screen.

 _xXWildRoseXx: WC_

 _Sibyl: I'm coming. What do you need?_

 _xXWildRoseXx: Help. WC_

"WC?" She thought out loud. "Now what could that mean?" She typed WC Vale into a search bar.

 _Displaying 501 results for "WC Vale", 3 results by page_

 _-Warren Crevice_

 _-Wellington Crescent_

 _-WC Investor's Group_

Weiss clicked the top result. The link led her to a Tikipedia article.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she read the top line.

" _...The crevice was used as a hotspot for illegal activity during the late 680's, mostly by the Tribe and their affiliates, but activity died down in the 690's."_

She grabbed her phone and dialed Blake's number.

"Belladonna here. What do you need?" The cat Faunus' low voice answered.

"Guess what I found?" Weiss asked.

"What is it? And why does it give you reason to call me at three in the morning?" A hint of annoyance could be heard in Blake's voice.

"Sorry. When you're awake, go check out Warren's Crevice."

"That's out in the North District. I used to go there with my family." Blake paused for a moment. "I worked on a case a couple months ago. They found the bodies of two people from the 80's.

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. The case wasn't made public… mostly because the victims' kids wanted privacy." There was a sound coming from the other end, probably Blake putting on her favourite black Melvin Klein jacket. "I'll run the files over to you now, Coco and Vel's place is only a block away."

"You don't have to, just tell me the names of the victims and their family so we can question them."

"Uh sure, but you could just find it in the public archives under the location."

"If it's sensitive information, it won't be in the public archives."

"Right. Then I can just tell you. The victims' names were Muire O'Brien and…" Blake's voice trailed off.

"What is it?" Weiss inquired, concerned.

"Eumann Branwen. And you'll never guess their who their kids are." Blake said. "Wow, I've been such an idiot."

"No. No freaking way."

"Yep. It's them. I didn't make much of it, because Yang and I weren't dating at the time. So I forgot. Well, this gives us reason to poke around a little more."

"Indeed. We'll have to update everything. Including Nikos' escapade. Do you think we'll find her?"

"Who knows, eh?"

"We will. It's pretty likely. I'm absolutely sure of it. Most escaped criminals get caught, you know."

"I know, Weiss."

 _~Skeletons in the Closet~_

 _The twins curled up in the corner, hands digging into each other's shoulders as they muffled sobs. The white-haired woman laughed cruelly as the couple, Eumann and Muire, had two identical nine-millimetres pressed to their skulls. The boy screamed. The woman turned._

" _Shut up. You should be glad we're letting you live. Would you like the same fate?"_

" _N-no! Sorry, Mother Salem." The girl answered, tears running down her pale face._

" _Good." She purred. "Now. Shoot."_

 _Two identical screams of terror and pain were silenced by a hateful laugh that day._

 **So, I haven't updated in awhile. Mostly because I tried to write pre-written chapters. They didn't work. I hated them. I had a couple terrible, no-good, school things going on, and some swimming-related engagements. Fear not, though! I am back! Probably. If you enjoyed, leave a review, and tell me if I should change something, or what you liked. Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day, wonderful person on the internet.**


	19. Author's Note

Hello.

As you probably know, this story is dead. So is this account. I know I don't write well, but I'd _**love**_ to improve. I've ruined this. So I'm leaving this site. All stories on my account are now discontinued.

HOWEVER…

Do not fear.

I have found people that will take over and rewrite RWBY Shorts and Skeletons in the Closet.

Sir Sayaka Miki the Ninth PMed me and noticed that Skeletons in the Closet was dead. I'm giving the story to her. I asked her about RWBY Shorts, but she said that she didn't think she could handle both, and directed me to Cygni Swan. Cyni will be taking over RWBY Shorts.

I hope I can come back someday. I've really enjoyed my time on this site.

Have a wonderful day,

coolcreate

(Tasie Rose)

3

*blows kisses*


End file.
